Assistant Service Manager

Job overview

The Assistant Service Manager for the Fertility Centre will be responsible for the delivery of high  quality and efficient patient services in defined clinical areas. The post holder will support the  Operational Manager and Service Director with the operational management of the services and  performance targets, including patient experience, level of activity of Private and NHS funded  treatments and maintain a high standard of patient flow across the department. The Assistant Service Manager will work closely and in partnership with other services within the  Trust, in particular the nursing teams; clinical teams; and clinical divisions to achieve agreed  performance, productivity targets and clinical quality indicators. The Assistant Service Manager will assist in the delivery of objectives across the Directorate as well as  directly managing mutually agreed projects and service improvement initiatives. The Assistant Service Manager will ensure the line management of his or her staff is undertaken  professionally and each member of staff has an appraisal and development & training plan consistent  with the Directorate, Division and Trust objectives

Main duties of the job

The Assistant Service Manager will support the delivery of NHS and Private ACU services through hands-on, day-to-day operational management, ensuring services meet expectations and taking timely corrective action where required. They will provide leadership and direction to administrative staff and foster positive working relationships with consultants, clinical teams, wards, and hospital departments to maintain smooth operations. The role includes supporting senior managers in investigating and coordinating complaints, resolving non-clinical issues, and ensuring effective communication by attending meetings and cascading key messages. The post holder will oversee clinic utilisation and capacity planning, address inefficiencies, and ensure accurate data capture and timely submission of datasets. They will manage small service changes or assist in wider programmes, ensuring thorough planning, stakeholder engagement, and resource allocation. Compliance with governance and best practice standards is essential, alongside designing and implementing audits. The Assistant Service Manager will also assist the Head of Operations and Service Manager in developing and revising operational policies, while maintaining accurate documentation across hospital systems such as Compucare and Cerner to ensure all care episodes are recorded and up to date.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To support in the overall delivery of the NHS and Private ACU service, providing hands-on operational day to day management to deliver services in line with expectations, taking timely corrective action as required.2. Provide management direction and leadership to administration staff.3. Promote and maintain positive working relationships with consultants, clinical professionals, wards and hospital departments to ensure the smooth running of ACU within the Trust. 4. Support the operational and senior managers with the investigation and co-ordination of complaints. Ensure that corrective action is taken in response to patient feedback.5. Resolve any non-clinical issues arising on a day to day basis and escalate as appropriate. 6. Attend local team meetings and cascade key messages to staff ensuring that effective communication systems are in place7. Ensure effective clinic utilisation and capacity planning, identifying where there are inefficiencies or lack of capacity and take steps to address issues.8. Play a key role in ensuring effective systems of capturing high quality data are in operation and all datasets are submitted to a high level of accuracy in line with required timescales9. Manage small service changes or assist in wider change programmes as required ensuring that there is thorough planning, scoping, stakeholder engagement, patient communication and resource planning10. Proactively take steps to ensure compliance with internal and external governance and best practice requirements11. Design and implement audits of the service12. Assist the Head of Operations and Service Manager in the production, implementation and revision of operational policies.13. Maintain and enforce all standards of documentation on all hospital systems, including Compucare and Cerner, to ensure that all care episodes are entered, kept accurate and up to date
• Staff management1. Day to day supervision and management of the staff within the service to ensure that they deliver an effective quality service to patients, actively managing poor behaviour, attendance, annual leave, sickness and performance, in line with Trust policies. 2. Manage the staff rota for each area to ensure that appropriate cover is provided for each service as required3. Ensure that staff are correctly trained and that they understand their roles and responsibilities. 4. Ensure that all staff have and dress in the appropriate uniform whilst at work5. Ensure that sufficient staff are adequately trained to be able to provide cross cover for their respective roles6. To assist in the appraisal and personal development process, setting appropriate objectives and reviewing staff as appropriate7. To be actively involved in recruitment processes for new staff 8. Manage and monitor bank staff usage, ensuring that this is within the budget set out annually9. To coach the team to deliver exceptional care and service, ensuring that we are meeting all expectations of the patients and Consultants and delivering on any timescales promised. Patient Experience1. Resolve any issues and complaints raised by patients, staff or clients as swiftly as possible, and to escalate these as appropriate if this is not possible.2. Investigate and draft complaint responses on behalf of the Operational Manager and implement changes if needed. 3. Attend the monthly quality meetings and make changes as necessary.4. Ensure that patient satisfaction questionnaires and other feedback is collected and monitored on a regular basis.5. Work with the facilities and support team staff within the unit to ensure that the highest quality service is provided to the patients and clients. Administrative Responsibilities1. Maintain and enforce all standards of documentation on both Compucare, evolve, Cerner and Meditex to ensure that all care episodes are entered and kept accurate and up to date. 2. Management of all patient information in line with data protection policies in place at the Trust including ensuring that all patients are recorded on both on systems.3. Provide daily activity reports to the Operational Manager.4. To keep updated on all Trust Policies and procedures by attending any advertised briefings as and when they arise.5. Ensure all CCG funding requests are submitted in a timely manner.Operational Management1. To support the Service Manager in the overall delivery of the NHS and Private ACU service, providing hands-on operational day to day management to deliver services in line with expectations, taking timely corrective action as required.2. Provide management direction and leadership to administration staff.3. Promote and maintain positive working relationships with consultants, clinical professionals, wards and hospital departments to ensure the smooth running of ACU within the Trust. 4. Support the service manager with the investigation and co-ordination of complaints. Ensure that corrective action is taken in response to patient feedback.5. Resolve any non-clinical issues arising on a day to day basis and escalate as appropriate. 6. Attend local team meetings and cascade key messages to staff ensuring that effective communication systems are in place7. Ensure effective clinic utilisation and capacity planning, identifying where there are inefficiencies or lack of capacity and take steps to address issues.8. Play a key role in ensuring effective systems of capturing high quality data are in operation and all datasets are submitted to a high level of accuracy in line with required timescales9. Manage small service changes or assist in wider change programmes as required ensuring that there is thorough planning, scoping, stakeholder engagement, patient communication and resource planning10. Proactively take steps to ensure compliance with internal and external governance and best practice requirementsAssistant Service Manager, The Fertility Centre - Job description – February 2021Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 711. Design and implement audits of the service12. Assist the Head of Operations and Service Manager in the production, implementation and revision of operational policies.13. Maintain and enforce all standards of documentation on all hospital systems, including Compucare and Cerner, to ensure that all care episodes are entered, kept accurate and up to date14. Provide management direction and leadership to all administration staff in the Unit.Financial Management 1. Ensure that all patients receive an invoice on discharge 2. To obtain full payment in advance from self-pay clients, and to obtain further advances as required to ensure that the Trust does not incur any debt.3. Ensure that cash is appropriately accounted for as per the cash handling policy, and to work with the finance team to investigate any variations. 4. Manage staff budgets and bank cover within the agreed constraints5. To carry out weekly checks to correlate Cerner and other systems to Compucare to ensure that all income has been identified, invoiced and collected.6. To play an active role in identifying areas where expenditure can be reduced or further income generated.7. Participate in business planning and identification of income generation and cost reduction schemes8. Undertake detailed analysis of specific projects/reports requiring high levels of analytical input9. Contribute to the production of performance information, taking a lead for specific projects. 10. Support the development of Service Leads and the implementation of systems for succession planningOther1. Ensure all communication, which may be complex, contentious or sensitive, is undertaken in a responsive and inclusive manner, focusing on improvement and ways to move forward. 2. Ensure all communication is presented appropriately to the different recipients, according to levels of understanding, type of communication being imparted and possible barriers such as language, culture, understanding or physical or mental health conditions. 3. To keep updated on all relevant Trust Policies and procedures by attending any advertised briefings as and when they arise.4. To maintain statutory and mandatory training at the appropriate level for both self and direct reports